This document contains data from the 1996 Census of Population and Housing, and describes the characteristics of people in the Northern Territory and their housing arrangements. It is just a sample of what is available in the publication series Census of Population and Housing: Selected Characteristics for Urban Centres and Localities (Cat nos 2016.0-7), available for each State and Territory, and nationally.

The data presented in this document relate to where people were counted on census night, and therefore data for each geographical area includes visitors to that area but exclude those people who were away on census night. The document uses both the Urban Centre/Locality (UC/L) and the Section of State (SOS) geographic classifications which classify areas according to size of the population. Whilst the UC/L classification covers only part of the State or Territory, the SOS classification covers the State or Territory in its entirety.

This document presents only a selection of data from the full range of census variables. For further information about other census or Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data refer to the Directory of Census Statistics, 1996 or elsewhere on this site. Concepts and definitions used in this document, including UC/L and SOS, are explained in the Explanatory Notes and more detailed information is available in the Census Dictionary, 1996 (Cat. no. 2901.0)

The ABS draws extensively on information provided freely by individuals, businesses, governments and other organisations. Their continued cooperation is very much appreciated: without it, the wide range of statistics published by the ABS would not be available. Information received by the ABS is treated in strict confidence as required by the Census and Statistics Act 1905.

Z. Abbasi
Regional Director

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

A total of 195,101 people were counted in the Northern Territory (NT) in the 1996 Census, an increase of 10.9% since 1991. Some 72.5% (141,459) of the people were in the Other Urban area, compared with 67.7% in 1991.

Of the 52 UC/Ls, the largest were Darwin (70,251), Alice Springs (22,488), Palmerston (12,233) and Katherine (7,979). Together, these four Urban Centres represented 57.9% of the NT population. As there were no Urban Centres containing 100,000 or more people, there was no category of Major Urban area for the NT.

SEX

In 1996, there were more males than females counted in the NT (52.0%) and this was also the case right across the NT: Other Urban (51.3%), the Bounded Locality (50.4%) and the Rural Balance (54.8%). These findings were similar to the those of 1991.

The population in the Territory had aged a little. In 1996 the median age for the NT was 29 years, compared with 28 years in 1991 and the proportion of people aged 65 years or more had increased from 4.6% in 1991 to 4.9% in 1996.

In both 1996 and 1991, the Rural Balance recorded the highest proportion of people aged 65 years or more (5.6% and 5.3% respectively) and the Bounded Locality recorded the lowest (4.0% and 2.6%). On the other hand, the Bounded Locality recorded proportionally more children (aged 0–14 years) — 33.8% in 1996 and 35.7% in 1991.

At the UC/L level, the highest percentages of people aged 65 years or more were recorded in the Localities of Mataranka (16.5%), Elliott (10.6%) and Adelaide River (7.9%), all on the Stuart Highway, and Timber Creek (10.1%). The highest proportions of children were recorded in Alpurrurulam (L) (43.9%) on the Queensland border and the Top End areas of Port Keats (41.9%), Daly River (L) (40.7%), Gapuwiyak (L) (40.3%), Bamyili (Barunga) (L) (40.2%) and Ngukurr (L) (40.2%).

BIRTHPLACE

Australian-born

Just over three-quarters (76.3%) of those counted in the Census in the NT were Australian-born, a decrease since 1991 (78.0%). The Other Urban area recorded a lower percentage than that for the Territory as a whole in both 1996 and 1991 (72.9% and 74.2% respectively).

In over one-third of the UC/Ls, 98.0% or more of the people counted were born in Australia. These included the Top End Localities of Belyuen, Bamyili (Barunga) and Umbakumba, and Lajamanu (L) in the Tanami Desert.

Overseas-born

Of the people counted in the NT, 6.4% stated that they had been born in the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland or New Zealand (NZ), a decrease since 1991 (7.8%). The Other Urban area recorded higher proportions of people born in these countries than for the NT as a whole (7.4% in 1996 and 9.0% in 1991). Similarly, high proportions were recorded in the UC/Ls of Batchelor (L) (10.5%) and Virginia-Bees Creek (10.1%), near Darwin, and Nhulunbuy (9.9%), on Gove Peninsula.

Some 8.7% of the people counted in the Territory reported that they had been born overseas in countries other than the UK, Ireland or NZ, a decrease since 1991 (9.6%). The Other Urban area recorded the highest proportion of people born in these countries with 10.9% (12.3% in 1991). Likewise at the UC/L level, high proportions were noted in Darwin (14.7%), Nhulunbuy (10.6%) and Alyangula (9.3%) on Groote Eylandt.

INDIGENOUS ORIGIN

TThe number of people who reported being of Indigenous origin increased by 16.0% between 1991 and 1996, from 39,893 to 46,277. As a proportion of the NT population, this represented an increase, from 22.7% to 23.7%. The proportions of Indigenous people were lower in the Other Urban area (13.0% in 1996 and 11.6% in 1991) than for the Territory as a whole.

UC/Ls which recorded very high proportions of Indigenous people were: Angurugu (L), Umbakumba (L), Lajamanu (L), Belyuen (L), Galiwinku, and Kintore (L) (ranging from 95.2% to 97.5%). However, in over one-quarter (14) of the UC/Ls, the proportion was the same as or less than the level for the NT as a whole. Particularly low percentages were recorded in Virginia-Bees Creek (4.8%), Nhulunbuy (3.8%), and Yulara (0.8%), the tourist village near Uluru.

LONE PERSON HOUSEHOLDS

In 1996, there were 9,599 lone person households in the Territory, an increase of 25.0% over 1991 (7,678). Most of this change occurred in the Other Urban area (7,962 such households in 1996 and 5,965 in 1991). However, there was a decrease of 13.9% in the Rural Balance.

At the UC/L level, the highest percentages of lone person households were recorded in Yulara, Pine Creek (L), Hermannsburg (L) and Kalkaringi (L) (26.2%, 25.3%, 21.6% and 20.3% respectively).

FAMILIES WITH DEPENDENT CHILDREN

There were 22,970 family households with dependent children in the NT in 1996, compared with 21,964 in 1991. The majority (61.9%) of all family households had at least one dependent child, slightly less than in 1991 (65.3%). In the Bounded Locality, around three out of every four (76.9%) family households had dependent children.

UC/Ls which registered the highest percentages of family households with dependent children were Umbakumba (L) and Ngukurr (L) (89.7% each), Galiwinku (89.6%) and Numbulwar (L) (89.2%). Mataranka (L) (46.7%) and Yulara (30.1%) recorded the lowest percentages.

LABOUR FORCE CHARACTERISTICS (For persons aged 15 years and over)

EMPLOYED

In 1996, there were 82,976 employed people in the Territory compared with 73,652 in 1991, representing an increase of 12.7%. The majority of these were enumerated in the Other Urban area (79.4% in 1996 and 73.8% in 1991).

Urban Centres with the largest numbers of employed people were Darwin (34,443), Alice Springs (11,059), Palmerston (5,129) and Katherine (3,376), a similar pattern to the population distribution.

Full-time employment

Of the 82,976 people employed in the NT, 56,832 (68.5%) worked full-time. This was an increase of 10.7% over 1991 (51,357). The majority (63.3%) of full-time workers were males, which was similar to the situation in 1991 (64.2%). The percentage of male full-time workers was highest in the Rural Balance (69.8%).

UC/Ls which recorded high levels of male full-time employees were the mining towns of
Alyangula (77.7%), Pine Creek (L) (76.0%), and Nhulunbuy (70.9%). The highest percentages of full-time employees who were female were recorded in the remote communities of Lajamanu (L) (66.7%) and Santa Teresa (L) (62.5%), although the numbers employed were small.

Part-time employment

In 1996, 23,940 people were employed part-time. This was an increase of 28.9% since 1991 (18,567). The majority (59.0%) of part-time workers were females, which was also the case in 1991 (59.8%). The highest proportion of female part-time workers was recorded in the Other Urban area (62.4%).

UC/Ls which recorded high levels of female part-time employees were Alyangula (75.0%),
Palmerston (69.8%), and Katherine (67.4%). The highest rate for males was recorded in Nguiu (74.5%) on Bathurst Island.

Occupation

In 1996, about a quarter (25.3%) of the employed people in the NT were Managers and administrators or Professionals, compared with 23.7% in 1991. In both 1996 and 1991, the Other Urban area recorded the highest percentages in these occupations (26.2% and 24.4% respectively). Localities with high percentages were Bamyili (Barunga) (36.6%) near Katherine and Papunya (35.5%) west of Alice Springs.

In 1996, 11.1% of the employed people in the NT were Labourers and related workers, representing an increase since 1991 (9.5%). The Bounded Locality recorded the highest percentages (28.5% in 1996 and 17.8% in 1991). UC/Ls with the highest percentages were Gunyangara (L), (79.0%), Ngukurr (L) (65.3%) and Galiwinku (57.7%), all in the north-east of the Territory.

Industry

Over one-third of the employed people (37.1%) worked in the industries of Retail trade, Health and community services, or Government administration and defence - the three top employing industries in the NT in 1996. In both the 1991 and 1996 censuses, the findings for the Bounded Locality were highest (60.8% in 1996 and 33.8% in 1991).

Localities with the highest levels in these industries were Umbakumba (91.2%), Gunyangara (90.8%) and Ngukurr (89.0%) in the north-east, and Kintore (86.0%) in the south-west.

Private Sector

The proportion of people employed in the NT private sector increased marginally between 1991 (62.0%) and 1996 (63.7%). In 1996 the Other Urban area (66.8%) exceeded the Territory figure. However, in 1991 the private sector was proportionally largest in the Rural Balance (68.3%).

At the UC/L level, the highest percentages were recorded in Yulara (89.7%), Alyangula (89.3%) and Pine Creek (L) (85.2%). Milikapiti (L), Ngukurr (L) and Alpurrurulam (L), which recorded the lowest proportions in private enterprise (5.9%, 5.7% and 4.8% respectively), also recorded high proportions engaged in the Community Development Employment Program (60.0%, 82.8% and 79.2% respectively).

UNEMPLOYED

In 1996, there were 6,627 unemployed people in the NT compared with 9,468 in 1991 — a decrease of 30.0%. The overall unemployment rate was 7.4% (11.4% in 1991), while the rate for people aged 15–24 years was 13.1% (18.5% in 1991). Both rates were highest in the Bounded Locality (9.0% and 13.7% respectively).

Localities which recorded comparatively high unemployment rates and numbers of unemployed people were Bamyili (Barunga) (59.4% and 60) near Katherine and Minjilang (53.3% and 48) on Croker Island in the Arafura Sea. Areas which recorded high levels of unemployment for people aged 15-24 years were Nguiu (52.1% and 75), on Bathurst Island, and Tennant Creek (20.7% and 68).

OCCUPIED PRIVATE DWELLINGS

TENURE TYPE

In 1996, there were 44,573 occupied private dwellings in the Other Urban area accounting for 77.6% of the occupied private dwellings in the Territory. The remaining 12,862 occupied private dwellings were located in the Bounded Locality (6.0%) and the Rural Balance (16.4%).

Fully owned

A minority of the private dwellings counted in the NT were fully owned by their occupants (17.8% in 1996 and 14.6% in 1991). In both 1996 (27.9%) and 1991 (25.9%) the Rural Balance recorded the highest ownership levels.

In 1996, 22.7% of the private dwellings in the Territory were being purchased by their occupants, compared with 21.8% in 1991. The Other Urban area recorded the highest percentage in both 1996 (26.9%) and 1991 (25.2%).

High levels of homes being purchased were recorded in the UCs of
Humpty Doo-McMinns Lagoon (50.8%), Virginia-Bees Creek (40.4%), Palmerston (37.6%) and Howard Springs (36.9%.

Rented

In 1996, almost half (48.0%) of the occupied private dwellings were being rented, a slight decrease since 1991 (49.2%). The Bounded Locality recorded the highest percentage in both censuses (67.7% in 1996 and 70.9% in 1991).

In more than three-quarters of the UC/Ls the majority of dwellings were being rented. Furthermore, in Kintore (L), Ramingining (L), Warruwi (L), Kalkaringi (L), Minjilang (L) and Kaltukatjara (Docker River) (L) all dwellings were being rented.

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

The median household income in 1996 of $850 per week showed an increase of 20.4% over 1991 ($706). In 1996 the Territory median was exceeded by that of the Other Urban area ($896). The Bounded Locality recorded $680 and the Rural Balance recorded $643.

UCs associated with mining recorded the highest median household incomes: Alyangula ($1,354), Nhulunbuy ($1, 250) and Jabiru ($1,055). The lowest were recorded in the Localities of Ampilatwatja (Aherrenge) (L) ($466), and Milikapiti (L) ($454) on Melville Island.

HOUSING LOAN REPAYMENTS

Between 1991 and 1996, the median housing loan repayment for the Territory increased markedly (55.1%), from $559 to $867 per month. Interestingly, the medians for the Other Urban area and the Rural Balance were the same as for the Territory as a whole.

Comparatively high median housing loan repayments were recorded in the Top End UCs of
Nhulunbuy ($1,008), Howard Springs ($914) and Virginia-Bees Creek ($884).

RENT PAYMENTS

The median weekly rent payment for the NT of $100 in 1996 represented an increase of 13.6% over 1991 ($88). The 1996 median rent recorded for the Other Urban area ($120) was much higher than those for the Bounded Locality ($25) and the Rural Balance ($35).